| Title | : | Fairy Bad Day |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0142412597 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780142412596 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 336 |
| Publication | : | First published June 9, 2011 |
Fairy Bad Day Reviews
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For a book devoid of any projectile-delivering weapons, there sure is a lot of "shooting" going on in Fairy Bad Day. You can find it nearly anywhere there's extended interaction between characters, but let's just look at two sections of the book for a few examples:
169: Emma shot her friend a grateful smile
170: Loni shot her an apologetic look
172: Emma shot her friend a doubtful look
178: Emma shot her a sympathetic glance
181: She shot Curtis a grateful look
182: he shot her a rueful smile
206: Emma shot her friend a rueful grin
272: she shot him a shy smile
277: She shot him a final parting glance
278: Emma immediately shot Curtis a look of sympathy
282: He shot her a lopsided grin
Other examples abound. I understand that shooting glances, etc., has unfortunately become part of the so-called style of many YA writers (all of whose books, like this one, are essentially clones in their stylelessness), but such overuse pushes the book close to parody. Besides, the intent of the verb shot is to convey action, intensity, and force -- as such, using it with "shy smile" or even "sympathetic glance" negates the shyness and the sympathy, neither of which is a strong or forceful act.
Ashby also succumbs to another YA style convention: that of adding a descriptive word or action to nearly every statement made by a character. To wit, this bit of consecutive dialogue from the bottom of page 67 to halfway down page 71. (The words spoken by the characters are left out.)
Curtis demanded
Emma retorted
Curtis...frowned
Emma sighed
she commanded
Rupert called out
Trevor added
Curtis demanded
Emma replied
Rupert called out
Curtis protested
she hissed
he yelped
Emma demanded
Curtis retorted
Rupert said
Emma yelled
the fairy yelled
Emma retorted
At this point, the demanding and retorting and calling out ceases for half a page, and then resumes in various guises. Elsewhere, as on pages 204 - 205, Ashby does a better job of letting her characters speak for themselves, but her habit still persists:
Emma croaked
Curtis demanded
Loni finally croaked
Curtis eventually coughed
(Those last two are in back to back sentences, and they're so similar that the reader can practically see the thesaurus lying open by the writer's computer.)
The main point here is that dialogue should flow, so whenever possible, the simple but invisible "he/she said" should suffice. In most cases, the descriptors won't be missed. Additionally, using so many descriptive verbs can lead to duplication. Let's take "Loni finally croaked" as an example. The full sentence is:
"Here?" Loni finally croaked, and Emma couldn't help but notice that her friend's face was ashen.
Replacing "finally croaked" with "said" puts the emphasis on the second part of the sentence thereby elevating it in importance. As it stands, however, neither part assumes superiority as each basically conveys the same image, while the first part, since we just read a few lines back that "Emma croaked", loses its impact. Plus, the next sentence, as already pointed out, is an echo of this one. So, one simple change and three problems are taken care of.
Young adult readers, I suppose the thinking goes, are a) unable to remember who's talking in a conversation, and b) incapable of grasping a character's emotions from the dialogue itself. But both of these are the writer's burden, not the reader's. A competent storyteller will be able to handle conversation in such a manner that the reader will be able to distinguish the speaker and the emotion behind his words with a minimum of authorial intrusion. Some expository description, some color, is fine; too much though, and a conversation becomes an exchange of descriptions, not of words and ideas, and the pace of the novel slows.
Too many young adult authors take for their models other young adult authors, and while it's certainly valuable for a genre author to read as many books in her chosen field as possible, they should be the classics of that genre, not what's currently popular. Look at the award winners each year -- they stand out for several reasons, the main one being the authors' distinctive yet transparent writing style. These are the books an aspiring YA writer should digest. But more importantly, every writer should read and study the very best, regardless of genre. Watch how Hardy and Austen handle dialogue, how Scott's descriptions leap off the page, or how Shakespeare injects all manner of emotion into his lines without a single "he retorted" or "she protested". The imagination of her readers is a writer's greatest asset and one that should be allowed room to fully expand and not be restricted or restrained in any way.
Even given a few other problems*, Fairy Bad Day isn't horrible for what it is intended to be -- disposable reading. It has the requisite likable protagonist, and the plot and setting are interesting. I especially enjoyed the trio of small, annoying fairies. The ending though, is unsatisfying. (SPOILER ALERT!! The antagonist, fighting for his very existence, strangely allows the all but beaten heroes to live when he could have slain them in a matter of seconds. Also, Emma's decision to remain a fairy slayer, with nothing to do but "keep an eye on things", when she could have her dream job of dragon slayer, is ridiculous.)
Like so many other YA books I've read, this could have been much better. I get that Ashby's trying to make a living, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I hate to see talent wasted and skills underused. A little extra work on her part and a desire to write something above the ordinary could have produced exactly that.
"Maybe next time," Jennifer sighed, shooting the author a hopeful look.
(*For instance, on page 290 our 'demanding' friend, Curtis, says to Emma, "That thing opened up your window and destroyed Loni's wards." But he couldn't know about that as he wasn't anywhere around when Emma mentioned it.) -
Oh goodness, this just was pure fun. Yup, not too much other than that but you know what, at the time it's what I needed and if you can put a smile on my face you're golden.
There is nothing in the world that Emma wants more than to be a dragon slayer. Basically, failure is not an option. She has worked her butt off at the Burtonwood Academy and her mother was a dragon slayer, so it seems she's destined to fill this role. Unfortunately for Emma the Academy choses somebody else; they chose the too cute to be true Curtis. No, instead of dragon slayer she is a fairy slayer. Ummm... what? Yes a fairy slayer, the tiny people with wings that wreck annoying havoc on everyone else. Emma can't fathom why she is assigned to these creatures, and why it's so important. But with the help of her two best buds, Loni and Tyler, and Curtis, she'll figure out a long hidden secret that involves the death of her mother and the fairies. Interesting stuff no?
Emma is a heroine with a sense of humor, which I readily gravitate toward. There is mention of her home life and how she wants to have a better relationship with her father, and learn how to fit in his new life. Then there is of course Curtis. Curtis is what you expect from these books. He has confidence but is hiding a secret. The interaction between Emma and him is funny of course, because Emma just envies his position as dragon slayer so much. It sure makes for some interesting scenarios.
The fairies have some of the best comedic moments in the story, and they weren't what you always thought they'd be. So why three stars? I did like it but I think I would have liked a tighter plot and a better sense of surroundings. The academy is actually in the contemporary world, but it's a place to train slayers and I wanted a little more of that type of flavor in the writing. And her friends do get some airtime, but I felt like I didn't know them as well as I wanted to.
Now what's up with the cover? Is it just me but does it look like she is stabbing a butterfly? Not really a fairy is it? But hey I like the sword, so it's all good. Ok enough with the questions go forth and read and have a good laugh. I sure did. -
Amanda Ashby did an awesome job with this standalone book, because she introduces you in a new world of slayers of supernatural creatures very smoothly, just flowing with the story telling.
It felt fantastic to finish for once a book knowing everything that was loose at the beginning is tide up by the end. There're still a couple of not too tight tied endings that could open again, but for now Emma's story is closed. I'd love to read more adventures starring such wonderful, charismatic and funny characters, but they are not necessary and that's my point. You can write a wonderful, action-packed, entertaining and romantic story in just one volumen. I think that's why I'm giving
Fairy Bad Day 5 stars. The style is no particularly amazing, it's rather simple and easy, but achieving such a entertaining and enthralling story and good characters in 320 pages... well, that's praiseworthy. And besides, Curtis is so cute :)
In short, I had a whale of a time reading this book and finished it with a wide smile on my face. That should tell something about the book :) -
Okay, right away when I read this book back in April, I knew it was going to be something special. Seriously. The storyworld here is very dynamic, very detailed, and beautifully simple. It's like Hogwarts lite combined with a non-mythology version of Camp Half Blood. In this world, kids like Emma attend a boarding school (and just the fact that it's a boarding school that doesn't reek of the "Gossip Girl"/House of Night/every-juvenile-delinquent-activity-you-can-think-of- that-allegedly-happens-at-a-boarding-school image REALLY gives me hope for these places continuing to be used as a legitimately-interesting story location) where they learn how to use their gifts to help control the paranormal population. Kids like Emma have "the sight," meaning they can see the several paranormal creatures that make up this richly populated story world, and their jobs are simple: keep these paranormals in order, and if need be, protect the human population by, well, slaying wayward paranormals. There are troll slayers, demon slayers, goblin slayers, coveted dragon slayers, and fairy slayers, which Emma unhappily becomes as the story opens. There were some parts of the story that didn't really feel very clear to me (for example, if humans can't see all the paranormals, are they really in danger of them? and is slaying really necessary?) But quite simply, I found this book utterly fascinating.
I really do love "rite-of-passage" characters, so while Emma's initial me-centric and immature attitude was a little hard to, I really enjoyed how she gradually became responsible, sensitive, and caring. She became much more in-tune with those around her, including the character who is my absolute favorite in the book - Curtis! Curtis was everything I like: sense of humor without being a goofball, caring but not overbearing, and assertive enough to stand up for himself when Emma got a little ridiculous with herself. Plus - added bonus - he went through most of the book on crutches. Yes, a dude who is "strong" and capable but still can't quite walk without assistance. That was very cool, and that's something that really set him apart and made him stand out from all the other love interests in all the other books I've gone through.
Even though I usually make much ado about the main characters in a book (boy/girl + love interest), I need to mention how well-rounded and charming the supporting characters were. In a time in YA fiction when the designated "best friend character" is usually a couple fries short of a Happy Meal (not in a generally unintelligent way but in an airheady, probably-listened-to-too-many-Hansen-songs way). Either that or they're the "writing angry poetry in red pen" sort. So I really, really enjoyed the fact that Emma's friends/classmates had personalities and were genuinely interesting, but not the Adderall-and-a-leash kind.
Though Fairy Bad Day's ending was satisfying, I am absolutely dying to know if this will be the first installment in a series. As interesting as the storyworld was, there's so much more that could be expanded, so many details left to be explored. This is one of the few books of 2011 that really, truly, has made me want MORE. And isn't the cover a win?!
Seriously, I can't think of a book that's more deserving of your attention this summer! -
This review may also be found on A Thousand Little Pages.
The dragon slayer designation obviously belongs to Emma Jones, what with her top combat exam scores and famous dragon-slaying mother’s legacy. No one can dispute that fact until Curtis Green, the relative newbie at Burtonwood Academy, snatches the coveted title right out from under her nose. Assigned as a fairy slayer instead and humiliated with the job of chasing these little winged critters around shopping malls, Emma is quick to jump to action when a large dragon-like creature is seen attacking a school bus, bypassing the school’s meticulously placed and calibrated wards in the process. Well, no one can actually see this gargantuan and evil-looking creature besides Emma and her archenemy Curtis. As she sets out to eliminate this threat, Emma unearths secrets about her deceased mother and the history of the elemental creatures’ descent into her mostly blissfully oblivious world.
Now this is the type of YA paranormal story that actually delivers in both pacing and originality. The world-building occurs right alongside the story, which just keeps rolling along after Emma discovers the elusive attacker almost no one else can see. As a stand-alone novel, the author did a remarkable job in wrapping up the conclusion by answering questions and simultaneously leaving a few threads untied. The writing style is not overly sophisticated, and while this doesn’t subtract from the overall flow of the novel per se, it left something to be desired.
Onto the characters: both the main and side ones are multi-faceted and actually have personalities -- from horoscope and techie-geek Loni to betting and pet cockroach-obsessed Trevor. Emma and Curtis’s interactions are cute in a slightly gushy way, whereas Loni and Trevor have a seriously hilarious rapport going on. These four are adorable. Simply adorable.
Fairy Bad Day is a unique combination of boarding school life and paranormal creature-slaying teens told in a snarky narrative that makes the novel quite a joy to read. I will be looking into other books by Amanda Ashby.
Book Source: ARC via VOYA -
Okay, real quick. Who here thinks that she should be holding Skittles on the cover; not a sword?
Cute and fun and fluffy.
Emma is positive that she is a dragon slayer, like her mom. There's no way she can be anything but a dragon slayer. Until she's pegged as a fairy slayer, that is.
I must interject here: If she is the first fairy slayer EVER, how does that work? Why was there even a test for it?
So she's a fairy slayer and fairies are a nuisance but it's not like they ever do anything really bad. Right?
Well, the small ones don't. But the Darkhel (um, I forgot how to spell his name) will.
When Emma sees this dark winged figure being destructive and since she's the only one who can see it, she investigates. It's a fairy! Didn't see that one coming.... A rather abnormal looking one, to be sure, but still a fairy. And Emma, of course, is the only one who can defeat it. I didn't see that coming either....
The atmosphere, especially at the school, was nice. Curtis was a pretty decent "love interest". I especially liked that he was on crutches the whole book. Crutches do not have to impair what you do. I should know. I did smirk though when he was trying to figure out how to carry something and still crutch.
It was good. Pretty enjoyable. The ending was a little too....sweet but other than that. -
An insanely entertaining novel, Fairy Bad Day was a quick, fun read, but it also contained levels of depth that you wouldn't expect from the first glance at its perky cover. Emma is a kick-ass heroine, who is sometimes hell-a annoying (Yes, I'm a Californian.), but she is always lovable. Curtis is a smoking hot dragon slayer who is a fantastic sword fighter, even when his whole leg happens to be encased in a plaster cast. Both Loni and Tyler are extremely detailed secondary characters who play a large part in the conclusion of the novel, and both were fun to read about. I really don't want to say too much because I'm afraid I will reveal every single plot twist in the novel, so just go and pick up a copy as soon as possible! If you enjoy fantasy, paranormal, and/or romance, you won't be disappointed! Or if you are disappointed, you are welcome to email me immediately :)
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4, 5
Hach, war das eine nette süße Geschichte mit viel Action, Sarkasmus und auch ein bisschen Romantik. Mir gefiel auch das mit den Sternzeichen und die verschiedenen Monster, die gejagt werden müssen.
Dafür, dass die Charaktere 15 waren, haben sie sich nicht wirklich kindisch benommen. Sie verhielten sich ihrem Alter entsprechend.
Das Buch war wirklich fast perfekt! :) -
3.5 stars
While most students at Burtonwood Academy get to kill demons and goblins, fifteen-year-old Emma gets to rid the world of little annoying fairies with glittery wings and a hipster fashion sense. She was destined to be a dragon slayer, but cute and charming Curtis stole her spot. Then she sees a giant killer fairy - and it's invisible to everyone but her!
What I didn't like?
- Plot holes Even if there aren't many of them, it still manages to irk me. I would say the worst one is actually a part of the world-building.
I will explain: In Emma's world exist a small amount of sight-gifted people who can see all sorts of elementals and they are trained to slay them. The elementals got to the Earth through a gate back in the 17th century, but the gate was closed afterward. The schools for the sight-gifted were founded to get rid of the elementals which remained. Yet even if nobody can get through the closed gate, 400 years later there are still lots of the elementals for the schools to continue. I would comprehend this if it took months or years to track and kill these elementals, but when a guy slayed three dragons at one night, I gave up on this hope. Besides, there was never mentioned any baby fairies or reproduction.
- Romance Okay, I admit I liked parts of it, but I would do without. I'm sorry, but I don't think the unceasing descriptions of Curtis's looks add up to the story, especially when the author constantly repeats the same thing. I understand it! His shirt strains (you know - muscles), he is tanned, strands of his hair are often in his eyes... No need to repeat yourself. I don't know why I minded this so much. Maybe, I have already grown up from Twilight.
- Ending All right, it's not like I didn't know how it was going to end and it's not like I hate it, I actually like it in a way, but it would be refreshing if it wasn't so neat.
What did I like?
Everything else beside the points above. It was nice fast-paced story, a bit fairy-taleish and sometimes even funny. And those little fairies were totally cute. :) -
First, just to point this out: THE COVER IS WONDERFUL but isn't that a butterfly?
the cover doesn't meet what is inside. i'm not saying it's dark and bloody but i'm not saying it's a fluffy cute make-me-feel-good book. NOOOOO. Totally enjoyed. Trust me. Like I gotta tell you this: WHO KNEW SKITTLES WERE SO POWERFUL?!
Emma is the heroine in here and she is the girl who gets frustrated that she didn't get her PRECIOUS dragon spot. Her character grew and that was good. Her relationship with Curtis was very nice and even it was predictable, I enjoyed reading as their relationship grew, too. She has nice comebacks that make me laugh out loud! Who knew that those people running around the mall are actually slaying fairies? Who knew? :D
Curtis was on crutches. Like COME ON!!! But that aspect made him look innocent and that worked for Emma. *smile, smile* He had a secret but not a dark secret but when I finally knew what his secret was I can see how it all adds up. He was very sweet to Emma and how Emma reacted to him was sad but funny. Did anyone like the part with the tie?! Had to hold my breath and come out something so funny!
Loni was a horoscope addict. Like her addiction was not at all irritating but added humor to the story. She was a great friend to Emma and helped her a lot.
Tyler is a betting person. He. Has. A. Roach. *evil grin* And he manages to make it even funny because you enjoy if his outcome of the bet comes good or bad. His relationship with Loni was just a "friend" level and I liked that.
The characters were awesome and the story was original. I never even knew that fairies were evil like the fairies Trevor, Rubert, and Gilbert.To be honest they weren't really "evil" but taunting and the best characters! H-I-L-A-I-O-U-S not to mention kept me on my heels and my heart racing the whole way. -
This book was great! I would love to see a movie version!!! :D
So Emma is waiting for the principal to call her into his office and tell her what her what elemental she 'll be responsible to slay. But when Emma is sure that she will be assigned Dragons -it is after all her legacy since her mother was the greatest dragon slayer of all times- she ends up because of some stupid test stuck with Fairies! The least dangerous of all elementals! Her whole world comes upside down and now she is stuck in the Mall chasing after these rude, smartassy creatures with a big appetite for anything sweet. And as if that wasn't enough she gets caught in an explosion inside the kichen of one of the Mall's diners and now she has to do an assignment with Curtis Green, the person who was assigned Dragons and she has sworn to hate! What else could go wrong? Well, it appears that some creature has penetrated the school's defenses, but Emma is the only one able to see it! So now with the help of her friends and her archenemy she has to fight this thing that noone has heard of and noone knows how to kill!
Those little fairies are HILLARIOUS!!!!! :DIloved them! <3 -
It is supposed to be an YA book, but it is written like it is for a younger audience. The funny parts may be funny for teens; the romantic part may be romantic for teens; the mystery as not a mystery; the magic part... MEH. All was very conveniently done and was so predictable.
Emma is 15 years old, but she behaves like a little brat. When the Principal tells her that she won't be a dragon-slayer, but a fairy one, she throws a tantrum. Then she decides she hates Curtis with all her guts (the guy who become a dragon-slayer instead of her). Errr, what are you, a 12-year-old brat? No matter if the poor guy is nice, or that he tries to be her friend. She hates him **eye-roll. And if the poor guy did not know something, she was "what? you did not know that blah blah blah? Seriously?" with such an air of know-it-all.
And although Curtis is the dragon slayer, he spends the entire book in crutches. Pretty useless.
The end just made me sure that Emma was the silliest of all (and she is supposed to be so smart...). The Principal offers her to be a dragon slayer, but she declines. She wants to be a fairy slayer.
What a moron, after all her tantrums. -
**Spoiler alert**I think Emma made a stupid decision, how can a character spend 3/4ths of the book whining that they made the wrong choice about her career then when they hand it to her on a silver platter say 'hmmm, no thanks I like this better.' And anyway how does she even know there even are anymore fairies for her to take down hmm???? Before she killed the one she did there weren't supposed to be any in the first place. So yeah, her decision was STUPID.
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I loved this book, it was so fun, and clever. I gave it four instead of five stars for the language, other than that I loved every minute of it.
Moral Note: Language about a handful of heck, dang, and omg. Clean romance, a little violence in killing fantasy creatures. -
This book makes me happy XD
Why does this book make all my feels jump around like a kitten with a new toy? Well I will tell you.
1. She hunts fairies, and they dressed like hipsters( I have a little thing agents the way hipsters dress, no hate, just a thing). I was never one to like fairies very much, more so because my Nan, god love her, told me horror stories about them when I was a child. About how if you wandered into the woods at night they would take you away and drive you mad, crazy, cookoo, and all sorts of stupid. Only for my mother, evil woman that I love so much ;P, to play alone with such horrors. Needless to say for me to find a book that has a Fairy Slayer, brightened my day.
2.
3. The banter was fun, quick and at times made me laugh out loud, I do enjoy a good laugh.
There were some little downers, and the book did have me going, what the flying F X| a few times.
But I will overlook those minor little annoyances and just enjoy the fact that even though she doesn't get what she wants, and the story doesn’t have that typical happy ending, it all manages to get tied together neatly and leaves you with that little bit of a hint that maybe,Just Maybe, sometime in the future, there will be more.
Edit: After rereading this book, I must say I can't believe how much I had forgotten, like how she actually killed the big ass evil fairy. So I have changed my rating from 4.5 to 5. To say the least, I loved it more then the first time. In truth I wish this was a book series, as I said above the ending is left open to point where you believe there is a sequel. But in all the ending was good, and I was left satisfied.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh -
Why I read this: I can't resist a good paranormal YA that involves both fairies and dragons.
Plot: Emma thinks she has dragon slayer in the bad as her designation for Burtonwood Academy. But she's surprised to find out she is now going to be a glorified slayer of fairies. Unfortunately, she's caught in a explosion as she's finally about to slay her first fairy and becomes the laughingstock of the school. To top it, a cute guy has taken her dragon slayer spot and she's steamed at him and when she finds out that they have to work on a project together she is less than happy.
Luckily, he is one of the few people that believe her when she sees an invisible to all eyes but hers dragon-like creature on the school grounds. Emma must find out how to stop this creature before it finds a way to open the gate that will let in other creatures just like him. Definitely full of action, some romantic drama, and hilarious friends, Fairy Bad Day is a book that is hard to put down when reading.
Characters: Emma definitely is a negative character, a bit on the moody side and unsure of herself when it comes to the charming Curtis, who has ruined her life dream to be a dragon slayer like her mother. She's definitely kick-butt though and speaks her mind a little too much at times. Definitely a fiery main character.
Curtis is way cute and hiding a secret (aren't all steamy young men?), one that keeps him pushing away from Emma even though he obviously likes her.
Relatability: Definitely a great paranormal story with a dash of romance and hilarity to keep the story rolling.
Cover Commentary: Love it! :) Definitely makes me think of Emma. -
3.5 STARS
The story centered on Emma, who aspired to be a dragon slayer. She’d worked for that title her whole life and besides, it meant so much more to her because her mother was a famous dragon slayer before she passed away. It was a legacy left behind for her. Yet she gets assigned as a fairy slayer... But maybe it was meant to be; because a huge demon-dragon-like evil fairy is on the loose, and Emma’s the only one who can see it.
I expected pure fluff from this book, but was pleasantly surprised with the world building and details and descriptions. I really liked the concept of a supernatural school where students get titled as slayers for different paranormal creatures. It was unique, although I kind of got a Harry Potter vibe, with all the research, sneaking around, and trying to save the world thing. Still, it was plenty fun and very entertaining.
I also liked Curtis, the ‘main squeeze’ love interest for Emma. He was so cute and sweet and lovable. But only on a surface level; I liked the background story about his family & his “issue” but I wanted more. A lot more. Additionally, Emma’s two besties – Tyler & Loni – they were OK but nothing spectacular. They served their filler roles as Emma’s sidekicks, but didn’t have distinct personalities of their own. I wish I got to know them more.
But honestly, my main issue with this book was the whole third-person POV!!! It drove me nuts. I liked the comic relief with the 3 little fairies, and little touches of humor sprinkled throughout the book. Overall, the book was a cute, feel-good, clean, solid YA-PNR. -
I wanted to read this ever since I saw it appearing around the blogosphere and I am so glad I won a copy from the lovely Lesley at My Keeper Shelf! This was so much fun and is the perfect beach read. (Okay, I read it by the pool, but the holiday read label still applies!)
Emma and her friends are training to be elemental slayer – each year there is only one Dragon Slayer and Emma is sure she will be chosen. Instead she is given fairies – small, annoying, mall-haunting, skittle eating fairies who don’t seem particular scary or evil. Emma is determined to prove she should be given dragons even if the current dragon slayer is kinda cute. The world Ashby’s created with the slayers and sighted is well realised – a combination of Hogwarts style learnings at school and practical on the job practise which feels realistic.
There are number of great characters – Emma’s friends are fantastic and add a lot of colour to the story - especially her horoscope obsessed and gambling addicted best friends. Her family life is something many people can relate too – with a dead mum and a father who seems to have moved on very quickly. The combination of emotional turmoil and light hearted high-jinks make a poignant story. And the stakes are raised when a killer fairy turns up on campus...
This is great fun, an amusing YA book with plenty of hilarious one-liners and situations mixed with some real warmth for characters you genuinely care about. A great holiday read!
Recommended for fans of The Iron Fey and Rachel Hawkins. 9 out of 10. -
Rating: 3.5
Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby was rather mediocre, but honestly very amusing to read. While the plot was nothing to be excited about with Emma figuring out how to kill a certain, deadly fairy, the characters were lovable and entertaining. Do not expect too much from this book. It was quite simply just a fun and light read.
The plot was not brilliant, but still interesting enough to read. The story started out with Emma being declared a fairy slayer at her school that specialized in training students in killing paranormal creatures, such as ogres, fairies, giant salamanders, etc. She had always dreamt of becoming a dragon slayer, so she then tried to reverse the decision, while figuring out how to kill fairies in her limited knowledge of them. This was not anything like
The Iron King where fairies were deceptive creatures and viewed far more malicious and dark (sticking closer to the more classic versions of dark fairytales). This book, on the other hand, had fairies that were tiny, loved pranks, and quite frankly, silly (in a good way). I almost felt like I was watching a cartoon about a girl, with her 2 sidekicks/best friends, trying to save the world from evil creatures while getting through all sorts of wacky situations. The beauty of this plot was that it was simple, fun, and enjoyable to read. My 13-year-old-self had probably dreamt of going to a school that taught you how to slay dragons and whatnot, especially since the setting was modern day north of San Francisco, where I used to live near.
However, my problem with the plot would be that the battle between good and evil (meaning, humans vs. all supernatural creatures) was a bit too black and white for me. There was not much of a moral debate on the grey area, and instead, everyone just simply declared they were killing off all supernatural creatures because they were "innately bad." Again, this further showed how this story was a light read.
The characters were cute and quirky, with some showing a bit more depth than others.
Emma was a bit annoying for me in the beginning with how she refused the title of fairy slayer and automatically hated Curtis, the only one declared dragon slayer that year. However, she did develop as a character throughout the book, and realized how immature she was being before. A surprising development for such a light, fun read was that this book showed quite realistically the awkward relationship between a parent and child when the parent married someone new. She did not feel fit in his new life anymore and was still holding anger that her dad had moved on from her dead mother. The dad, on the other hand, was trying to rekindle his relationship with his daughter but kept on being pushed away. They both struggled with this transition, and it was nice to see how the feelings there were realistic and quite relatable, especially with Emma wanting to be closer to her dad but not knowing how to even begin and what to talk about.
Curtis, her archenemy/love interest, was great. He just seemed like a really nice, cool guy, and I loved his bantering with Emma. He was considerate and thoughtful, but could be rather confusing because he had a few secrets up his sleeve, which I would like to point out was annoying when every time he wanted to say the secret, someone interrupted him. He was not perfect, and sometimes, he did not handle certain situations well - he made mistakes, he apologized, he talked it out with Emma, etc., and in other other words, he was not far-fetch. I appreciated that he was also not sickeningly sweet or a frustrating "bad boy" type, which seemed to be 95% of all YAs. Romance was certainly not the central point of this book, and was there but not overwhelmingly so.
Loni, Emma's best friend, was lovely. I loved how quirky she was with her being a tech genius, a lover of horoscopes, and a shopping fanatic. She was relatable and I loved how she was a nice presence in the story. She was supportive of Emma and gave her advice, and sometimes even lectured her. A lot of YAs, in my opinion, lacked in the friendship department, but this was good and realistic.
Tyler, Emma's other best friend, was also a great character because he was amusing and helpful. His quirk was that he loved betting on anything and everything - especially his 5-legged cockroach named Ruby. In addition, I was relieved that this was not another love triangle and Tyler was simply a really good friend of Emma's, and there was never a hint at more because too much drama would just ruin the vibe of the book.
Overall, Fairy Bad Day (which, by the way, was not really one single day, but a length of 6 weeks, with the focus on the last week) was good, but most certainly not a masterpiece. It was cute and entertaining, and probably suited for preteens and teens. The best part of this was that I was left feeling simply content and good, so props to Ashby! It would be worthy enough to read if you were having a bad day and just wanted to read something light and fun.
Things that you might want to know
Any cussing, sex, or violence?
Happy ending?
Did any good characters die?
Did you laugh?
Did you cry?
How long did it take for you to read it?
Thoughts on the cover?
Should I read it? Yes, if you are looking for something light and silly.
Any other questions, feel free to ask! :)
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At the beginning, I was fairly tempted to just let this one go, and stop reading because the MC was so annoying!
I mean, I get that she is a teen and that she was disappointed, and that this is a major problem, I mean, she was expecting to be nominated to be the next dragon slayer, and instead, she finds herself appointed as fairy slayer. She was on track to follow her mother's steps (she was one of the strongest dragon slayers) and now all her dreams and hopes are crushed. I get that she is not happy with it, I get that she is constantly whining about it, and I get that she tries her best (or her worst) to change the principal's mind. And I also get that she is grumpy and despondent toward Curtis, the one who got the dragon slayer spot. But she treats Curtis like this is all his fault and it was just too much teen angst to be interesting.
But the things pick up, and even if the book is your pretty standard YA, because sure the fairy thing is original in its ways but it is nothing so special or so big, it is an enjoyable reading. Nothing to write home about, but good if you want to take a break and read something easygoing and somehow fun. -
After the first 100 pages, I was reading it solely for giving it a bad review so people knew not to read it. It was very boring in the first part. No action and you could barely tell the plot line. However, as you neared the last third of the book, it began to become interesting. Lots of action near end and a great love interest. In all, it was an okay book. Miserable in the beginning, and great at the end. I don't know any other way to describe it. It is worth reading, but if there is something you think might be more interesting, I would read the other book first.
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*3.5*
If you are looking for a fun, feel-good type of read, look no further because Amanda Ashby’s Fairy Bad Day is the book for you. Full of frilly entertainment, delightful romance, and plenty of intense fight scenes, this book is nothing short of addicting.
Fairy Bad Day starts the day Burtonwood Academy’s sophomores are receiving their slaying assignments, and for Emma Jones, this is no biggie, as it’s basically a given she’ll be given the assignment she’s been working towards since she was born- dragon slaying. Much to her surprise and horror, her precious assignment is given to Curtis Green, leaving her with fairies, tiny, annoying fairies- an assignment no one has been giving before, not because it is dangerous, but because killing fairies is laughable on so many levels. However, she is not settling for this because if she does one thing, it will be to get her assignment changed, but the problem is she is seeing a killer fairy on campus, and everyone else…is not. Except for Curtis, but she cannot recruit him to help, can she? Better yet, will she ever get her assignment changed? Moreover, what happens when she starts liking Curtis? Will everything turn out okay? Only time and more pages can tell in this fast-paced addition to YA contemporary fantasy.
Emma Jones was a character I liked from the start. Witty, smart, and unbeatable, there truly was nothing not to love about this girl. It was always fun to see her slowly embrace her fairy slaying destiny because not only did it cause some funny moments, but it also lead to much character growth on her end. Better yet, I adored her friendship with Curtis. Curtis is the typical “hottie” with a heart of gold, though he still had plenty of secrets, which will keep any reader guessing as to what they exactly are. I also loved the banter between Emma and her two best friends, Lonni and Tyler. However, I have to admit, I would have loved some more development into each.
With paranormal novels these days, it is either a big hit or a big miss. Thankfully, Fairy Bad Day landed somewhere in the middle, closer to the big hit rather than the miss, because while Amanda put a great, unique spin to fairies, I still found this book to be a bit clichéd at times, especially when it came to Emma’s past. However, given the many twists and turns, as well as the stellar fighting scenes between Emma and a certain rouge fairy, there was not much room to complain.
Ashby’s writing was also decent. I remember reading and adoring Amanda’s first book You Had Me at Halo and with this one, her writing and world building has defiantly approved. The only aspects I was not too wild about where the lack of development into secondary characters as well as the fact that the story was told in third person. However, with the later, I do admit to be a stickler for first person, so that is probably why I felt the way I did.
In all, with reading Fairy Bad Day is the perfect way to start your summer season, thanks to not only its June release date, but also its fun contents as well as action. I am unquestionably looking forward to reading more by Ms. Ashby.
Grade: B -
Reviewed on
Lili Lost in a Book
I LOVED this book! In fact, I’ve read twice! And I loved it just as much as the first time around! I really liked the concept—it was very different and quite interesting. Fairy Bad Day actually takes place in the same world as
Zombie Queen of Newbury High, another Amanda Ashby book that I absolutely loved! I just really love this world, and I also love my Easter Eggs :)
I also loved our stubborn main character Emma. You can totally understand why she is so unhappy and distraught. I mean, a fairy slayer?
It’s a joke, right? WRONG! Poor Emma... and here she thought she was going to be a dragon slayer, like her mother. Instead, who gets it? Curtis. The cute, sweet guy Emma is forced to work with on a project. I loved their dynamic! It was so funny and awkward, Emma resenting him and all. But I also loved seeing how their relationship shifted from one thing to another. That bit of romance was just so adorable!
The story itself was very fun and adventurous. You have a giant, killer fairy that only Emma can see and no one believes her about it!
Except she has awesome friends who have her back and will help her in taking down this killer fairy.
Oh, and Emma also has tiny, annoying fairies to bribe ;) These guys were hilarious! And not as tough as they’d like to think they are ;)
Fairy Bad Day was a hilarious, action-packed, fun read with a dash of romance. I also loved the mythos in this book, the way all the elementals were explained. I thought that was very interesting. Anyway, I am officially a fan of Amanda Ashby! I need to read all her books ASAP!
Also, I did some nail art inspired by this book!
You can check out the full post here! -
MY RATING: 2.5 OUT OF 5 STARS
This was more of an okay read for me, considering that I didn't enjoy nor dislike it. I felt this book was supposed to be light and funny, but I didn't really get that vibe while reading FAIRY BAD DAY. Sure, jokes were made and funsies all around, but it didn't really faze me as funny, really. More annoying than funny.
The overall plot was a little fuzzy and a bit stereotypical of many books and movies. When reading books, I'm always looking for originality and specialness that sets it apart from the others. I never like to read the same storylines and conclusions over and over. So when I started this, I had to admit that I haven't read any other books about a school teaching the only people who can see supernatural creatures to slay them. It was very unique and interesting! I loved the idea greatly and I would've loved to know more about the school and other schools around the world like it. Sadly, I never got to learn anything about the teachers or history of the school except for a very vague event explained in one part of the novel.
The setting was never explained clearly, which frustrated me greatly because I didn't even know where the characters were most of the time. No descriptions of the area left me grappling onto whatever image I could conjure in my head. This made me sad most of all. I love to know the setting in books and find it extremely important.
The romance was very sweet, but it seemed to be more important than the actual plot of the storyline. The characters kept on focusing on the developing relationship whenever I really wanted to know what was going on. Which is very rare. I love my romance.
Here comes the biggest pet peeve of this book: PLOT HOLES. They were everywhere! It made everything so convenient, it was almost cringe-worthy. The book also seemed really crunched to fit into one book. This should have been stretched into a duology or mini series in order for the readers to look forward to something even more. Everything was happening so fast and it really should have slowed down.
Finally, the characters. Oh, the characters. They were overall pretty enjoyable, but I found later on I had issues with their attitudes towards each other and the reckless decisions they made. They also should have been developed more with their home lives ( never got to know them personally ) and for their backgrounds/past lives to reflect somewhere in the storyline. I never really got to know the main character well.
I really do recommend this to many people! If you love light and just a teeney bit cheesy reads to lift the mood, this one is for you! Go ahead and give it a try!
To see more reviews and other bookish stuff, make sure to check out my blog, Books of Fascination!
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Review originally posted at:
http://supernaturalsnark.blogspot.com...
MY THOUGHTS
Fairy Bad Day is a charming story full of humor and general hilarity, leaving us thoroughly entertained and earning itself a place on our shelves among those stories that are go-to reads when we need a big smile on our faces. The characters are all adorably quirky and have sharp wits they put to good use on a regular basis, their antics making for a fun, light read that succeeds in being memorable despite not being a story that elicits a potent emotional reaction in us. Each chapter brings a delightful coupling of elements–silly humor with serious mystery, giddy attraction with tragic loss, and ridiculous mischief with intense responsibility–thereby undeniably satisfying us on a multitude of levels as we shut the back cover tingling with the pleasant warmth of having finished and all-around good read.
Emma is a young woman with admirable drive and determination, bent on honoring her mother's memory by becoming a dragon slayer and living the life she's always wanted. Unfortunately, the school's tests indicate Emma is to be a fairy-slayer instead, a designation with far less danger and prestige, and one she believes takes considerably less skill. Though we understand her initial extreme disappointment and anger, her whining to anyone who will listen about the injustice of the slight she's suffered begins to get old fast, as does her openly hostile treatment of Curtis. Luckily for us though, Emma does climb her way out of the pit of selfish despair she so dramatically throws herself in at the beginning, shoring up her resolve and embracing her new status as the world of fairy-slaying suddenly proves to be much harder and much more dire than it first appeared.
Curtis is an outstanding male lead, a young man with a talent he doesn't choose to flaunt but rather remains exceedingly modest, his more quiet nature drawing us to him easily as we seek to shield him from Emma's impressive wrath with our affection. While we can tell he's attracted to Emma we're also very aware he's keeping secrets, and though he has fairly perfect looks, the imperfections and vulnerabilities lurking beneath the pretty face are what hold our interest and pique our curiosity. Their relationship is plagued with little misunderstandings, the kind that set our nerves on edge as we puff up in vicarious outrage on behalf of one or the other, and we find ourselves fully vested in every tense silence, every almost kiss, and every casual touch.
Overall, Fairy Bad Day is sweet and funny, taking us on a quick journey through a world of mythical creatures but very human emotions, and is sure to be a joy to read for all those looking to grin foolishly and giggle uncontrollably as evil is fought and love is found.
Rating: 4/5 -
This book had such a creative story line that I couldn't put it down. The book kept me intrigued through the whole course of the story.
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I feel terrible for giving this book such low rating. I'm usually a generous rating-giver and the idea of the story is impressive, but...
The inconsistencies of the plot was terrible.
The darkhel is about the size of a dragon and grew even bigger when it regained its soul, I can't see how possible it is for the darkhel to flip pages of a book especially when its talons are so mighty sharp it could have punctured the book in one grip-oh yeah. I forgot, maybe because the book is MAGICAL. Watev.
Then there's Emma slitting the darkhel's throat...
""Well, trick this," Emma shouted as she lunged and then jumped up off her good ankle. As she became airborne, she used her mom's dagger and slashed it across the darkhel's throat. The minute the foul creature fell to the ground, she leaned over and started to pour the crushed Sour Skittles into the open wound. The darkhel reached up and pushed its talons deep into her calf muscle, ripping away at the tendon as it tried to use her leg to help it stand up. Emma ignored the pain that lanced through her."
First, no one can jump so high using one leg (I've tried it just now and I look like a limping kangaroo. Not funny.) And used a dagger (size emphasized)to cut through a thick and blistered skin of a darkhel. And no sane creature would fall to the ground when their throat's cut, the darkhel could have stumbled unto something or squeezed the life out of its throat to stop the bleeding. And how was Emma able to lean over the the darkhel's throat? Did she stepped on the darkhel itself? or were her arms incredibly long? 'Cause last time I checked, the darkhel was enormous. Although the thought of the Sour Skittles as weapon was cute. Then there's the darkhel injuring Emma's calf. If the darkhel is the strongest,worst and almost invincible among the elementals, I don't see why it chose to injure Emma when it can rip her apart or smash her to the walls. And can't it just use the ground to stand up? It's more stable and stronger.
I don't know. Is it just me-terribly lacking in imagination? or what? -
I loved it!
Emma is desperate to follow in her late mother's footsteps as a successful dragon slayer but instead finds herself assigned by Principal Kessler as the world's first fairy slayer- oh the humiliation. Especially as the very yummy Curtis has been given Emma's beloved dragon slaying spot thus making him Emma's declared archenemy.
I laughed out loud at Emma's attempts at slaying fairies, these are very up to date fairies who hang out in malls, read OK magazine for celebrity gossip and drink frapaccinos. The fairies consider Emma to be the worst slayer girl ever and spend most of their time laughing at her. With no manual to help her Emma has to learn to lure the fairies into the non fiction section of the bookshop with skittles (not the red ones- they make fairies go wild) and instead of using super cool slaying weapons like her friends use hairspray (it makes their wings stick and therefore makes them less attractive to opposite sex fairies) and nail files to capture them.
After six weeks of humiliation at the hands of the fairies Emma is left behind with Curtis when the rest of the school is called into real slayer action. Emma and Cutis must however save the school (and the world) from a strange invisible winged creature stalking the school that only Emma can see. With the help of Curtis, Emma has to delve into her mother's past and both must face some difficult family memories to help them discover what the winged creature is and who it wants.
Fairy Bad Day was a perfect light, fun read which I raced through and chuckled along with. The snarky fairies made me laugh out loud as they mooned Curtis and escaped from the powerful and skillfull dragon slayers whilst discussing high fashion and celebrity gossip. I thought it was the perfect start to my summer reads and enjoyed every minute of it. -
Emma goes too Burtonwood Academy, a school for people gifted with the sight (ability to see demons, goblins, dragons, etc.) Emma's mom was an amazing dragon hunter and Emma has sought after that position since her mother's death five years ago. When the assignments are made at the beginning of her sophmore year she finds that she is to be a ..... fairy slayer?? Is there such a thing?
She spends the next few weeks hating Curtis, the boy that is assigned to be the dragon slayer. All that does is gets her into troublewith the principle at school and she manages to become the laughing stock of the school when she is caught in an explosion at the mall while hunting fairies. To make matters worse she is now paired up with Curtis on an assignment and they now have to teach eachother about their slaying abilities.
Fairies are hard to deal with, not that they are evil but those little flying monsters make fun of her clothes, throw candy at her and just make her life miserable, plus there is no known way to kill them.
Trouble finds her on campus but she is the only one that can see it. No one believes that this creature exsits and it is up to her to save the world.
I loved this book. The fairies were adorable and so funny. I liked all of her friends, Curtis was great as a firend/love interest/slayer. Loni is her best friend and is a wiz with technology. Then there was Tyler who loves to gamble and has a five-legged cockroach as a pet. The only thing I wish was different is the ages of Emma and her friends, they were only fifteen years old. It would have been nice if they were 17-18 years old. -
Fairy Bad Day is overall a humorous book that remains humorous throughout the entire book. Sometimes it gets serious, but the characters remain rather silly despite how dreadful or terrifying the book gets. I can't really absorb myself into the book because I hate how 'this, this, this' the book gets. It's difficult to get into a book like this.
This book's universe is insane. Apparently you can kill fairies by shoving Skittles into their open wounds. Go figure. (I shudder to think of what those Skittles contain. Silver? Iron? Definitely small metal pieces because that's one of bad things for fairies. Maybe even salt.) Okay, enough of conspiracy theories. Then there's dragons, fairies, goblins, zombies. What a pleasant world! I feel as if this author just shove every paranormal into this book. What's next? Angels and Demons?
(What part of the book is my next victim?) Oy! The characters are funny, reminding me of the Hex Hall Trilogy (I love and miss that series). Hex Hall is a witch/wizard, demons, etc. type of book. It's good for immature people and younger girls. They (characters) don't have good growth development. It's the same from beginning to end.
The writing in Fairy Bad Day is rather interesting, but not too addicting. I could have easily let go of this book in a heartbeat.
(Yay, there isn't a sequel! I don't have to read the next book because I want to know if the character got any better!)
The ending of Fairy Bad Day is... No, I'm not going to bother with this book.
Rating: One out of Five
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